Alcohol resistance in Drosophila is modulated by the Toll innate immune pathway.

ABSTRACT: A growing body of evidence has shown that alcohol alters the activity of the innate immune system and that changes in innate immune system activity can influence alcohol-related behaviors. Here, we show that the Toll innate immune signaling pathway modulates the level of alcohol resistance in Drosophila. In humans, a low level of response to alcohol is correlated with increased risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. The Toll signaling pathway was originally discovered in, and has been extensively studied in Drosophila. The Toll pathway is a major regulator of innate immunity in Drosophila, and mammalian Toll-like receptor signaling has been implicated in alcohol responses. Here, we use Drosophila-specific genetic tools to test eight genes in the Toll signaling pathway for effects on t

SUBMITTER: Troutwine BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4991213 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature